Nights is one of the most powerful creator-owned books published today. A funny, reckless adventure centered around a found family in a strange and often dark world, it’s a total joy. Writer Wyatt Kennedy and artist Luigi Formisano have combined a wide range of influences to create something wonderful and completely unique. This proves how fun and interesting indie comics can be.
We at The Beat sat down with Formisano at Thought Bubble Comics Art Festival 2025 to discuss his experience working on the book, his artistic aspirations and inspirations, and the creation of unique, modern comics.
This interview has been edited for clarity.
Jared Bird: The second volume of Knights was released by Image Comics in March 2025. How would you describe this book to someone who is unfamiliar with it?
Luigi Formisano: It’s very difficult to explain, so I won’t. We have a hard time describing this book. The premise is easiest to explain. Because it’s a story about a group of friends who become like a family in a world full of monsters, live together and develop great relationships. It’s really hard to explain, because if you’ve read Knights you’ll know there’s more to it than that. The atmosphere is crazy and fun!
Byrd: There’s a lot going on at any given time.
Formisano: There’s so much going on! We didn’t want to tell the story in a traditional way. While the plot itself is very simple, the way the story is told is not. We wanted the story to reflect the characters and their inner conflicts.
Bird: What inspired you to take on this project?
Formisano: I received an email from Wyatt Kennedy. He was so inspired by my Instagram account that he felt I was perfect for this project. He had a few things he wanted to pitch to Image Comics, we worked on them, and Eric Stevenson thought Knights was perfect.
Art: Luigi Formisano
Bird: What was it like working with Image Comic?
Formisano: That’s wonderful. I don’t know what it would be like to work on another book, but in this case, it’s my character and it’s a creator-owned project, so it works. We have 100% creative freedom to do whatever we want.
Eric is a first-time Knights fan, even before we were. He told us, “I love this, and so do you.” Even if he wanted to guide us in some way, he understood that it was pointless and that no restrictions were needed to make this project a success.
Bird: As a young manga artist, it’s very reassuring to have unconditional support.
Formisano: They would have been completely fair too. He could have asked us to work on this with him, as a safety net for him and for us, but instead he put a lot of trust in us.
Byrd: What was it like working with Wyatt Kennedy?
Formisano: That’s a lot! I talk to him every day and have been doing so since 2021. I didn’t have gray hair before! All jokes aside, it was really good. He’s my brother from another mother, which was great.
For the first six months, we spent every day talking about movies and music, not comics. He is truly an expert in music and teaches me different things every day to suit my tastes. Every time I tell him I like a new song, he criticizes me from afar, from Portland. When you’re on the same wavelength, you don’t even need to say anything specific. The other person already knows that.
Byrd: One of the biggest strengths of this book is that it feels like both of you are always trying to push the other further.
Formisano: Of course, 100%. We’re not just trying to make something that’s fun for us, we’re trying to make something that we would have considered cool 20 years ago. 10-year-old Luigi and Wyatt would have thought, “Wow, that’s amazing.” It’s a zombie cyborg, so cool!
Bird: Throughout the series, we’ve blended genres such as horror, fantasy, crime, and slice-of-life. How did you create the visual style for the series?
Formisano: I always start with a concept. If you gave me a blank page and told me to do whatever I wanted, I think that would be difficult. Once you have a concept, it’s easier to build everything around it. We started with talks and chats about world building and characters, and everything grew from there. We wanted to have a lot of cats in an issue, but we didn’t want them to be everyday, realistic cats. Cyborg Kuro-chan was one of my main inspirations. It has to be excessive, but still plausible, so it’s different for everyone. Everything comes from a concept. That’s my safety net. If I was given a blank page, I would get stuck.
Bird: What were the main challenges when coming up with the core character design?
Formisano: That’s a good question. I won’t give any specific examples, but I always try to offer something new. It can be difficult to create something new and fresh in the premise and aesthetic of a book, not only for me but also for the reader. But it’s fun to move your muscles. I don’t want to do the same thing again.
Art: Luigi Formisano
Bird: Among the cast, which character would you most like to portray?
Formisano: There are two options. 1st place is Matt, 2nd place is Ivory. I love ivory. I see myself in him. I remember spending two days talking with Wyatt about Ivory’s trauma and struggles in life in general, including things you’d never read in a book. Just what we keep in mind as we tell his story. At one point I almost choked, but I really saw myself in him. He’s only a close second because I love skeletons. If he dies and becomes a skeleton, he will be number one.
Bird: What I found interesting about Nights as a comic in the age of social media was the way the team created their own merch. What led to your decision to do so?
Formisano: This is a blend of two extremely dangerous potions. The first potion is Wyatt and he always says we should do this and that and this and that and I always agree. The second thing is that I love doing different things.
Creating comic pages every day can be a repetitive task. Once in a while, you might want to draw covers or concept art. I love creating illustrations for stickers and posters. In the future, I would like to create a series of toys. Imagine something like the movie Small Soldiers. Something that has two different sides. Why not? These are two very powerful potions that blend together.
Bird: What creative influences do you always go back to for inspiration?
Formisano: A Saturday morning cartoon from my childhood. That, in this case, is the vibe I always want to go for with Nights. Artistically, it’s always Chris Samney, Gigi Cavenago, Mike Mignola, these gods. Jack Kirby.
It may sound like a boring answer, but they became who they are because of their skills and influence. You can see them in everyone. Kirby was so powerful that you can see traces of Kirby in everyone who plays an active role in manga. I think I’ve already forgotten a few, like Stuart Immonen and Olivier Coipel. That person must be illegal. his work is amazing. During that era at Marvel Comics, the two reshaped the visual tapestry of mainstream comics. It’s so incredible.
Art: Luigi Formisano
Bird: You guys recently moved to Patreon. I was wondering if you could talk about why and how it helped this book.
Formisano: Basically, it’s to support the production of Nights. It’s been an incredible journey just because of the trust that our patrons place in us every month. The only thing they want is consistency and other than that they just want us to be ourselves. I love doing different things, so designing shirts and designing prints is great. Mini comics like NightBite. That’s great, and it allows us to continue doing what we love.
Bird: As an up-and-coming artist, what do you see in the near future?
Formisano: I don’t think I’m in a position to choose my own path yet. We can deviate a little bit and control it, but our job is like show business. There are many unpredictable factors. It can be completed tomorrow. If the right person says the right thing the next day, it’s a success. It’s so messed up that it’s unpredictable. The only thing you can do is have fun, try to control what’s within your control, and believe in what you think is best.
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